If I have a letter from the embassy but cannot get an extension because of overcrowding at immigration, will I be arrested?

[ninjabkk]

If I have a letter from the embassy but cannot get an extension because of overcrowding at immigration, will I be arrested?

[tomazbodner]

If police stops you and asks to see passport, then see that you are on overstay - yes.

[from the home of CC]

they should go arrest those at your embassy..

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, ninjabkk said:

If I have a letter from the embassy but cannot get an extension because of overcrowding at immigration, will I be arrested?

Not likely unless you are caught with the overstay. Just avoid a situation where you might need to show your passport.

[Max69xl]

If you have the embassy letter why not go to immigration in BKK and apply for the extension? You have 2 days left. 

[Jeffro008]

Keep going in line up and photos of tickets and lines and you can still try on the 28th by immigration laws

 

[Fibonaqi]

MTT has been super efficient. I reckoned they did 400 extensions by 2PM today going by the numbers collecting passports at around 1:30PM today. If your paperwork is all in order, your extension can be processed (time at desk with I/O) in anywhere from 2-5 minutes -I/O ticking off the forms, some data entry and taking a photo. I think there were 12 counters open and more than half were manned at lunch time.

Overcrowding or too many people is not an issue at MTT today, 2 days before amnesty ends.

[scorecard]

MTT?

[TheFreqFlyer]

You could also consider going to a quieter immigration office in a nearby province such as Chachoengsao, Saraburi, Samut Sakhon etc. rather than any of the ones in greater Bangkok. I doubt the smaller ones require an appointment (though you should check their websites to be sure) but be quick! Preferably go tomorrow, although many offices appear to be open on Saturday too. 

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

MTT?

Muang Thong Thani

[Jeffro008]

33 minutes ago, TheFreqFlyer said:

You could also consider going to a quieter immigration office in a nearby province such as Chachoengsao, Saraburi, Samut Sakhon etc. rather than any of the ones in greater Bangkok. I doubt the smaller ones require an appointment (though you should check their websites to be sure) but be quick! Preferably go tomorrow, although many offices appear to be open on Saturday too. 

If open on Saturday the 26th Can this be verified please at which locations 

 

[Puchaiyank]

You are likely to worry yourself to death first!

[FlyingThai]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

If you have the embassy letter why not go to immigration in BKK and apply for the extension? You have 2 days left. 

What do you think he's trying to do?

 

Also you now need an appointment to get this done and all slots are filled this week.

[Fibonaqi]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

MTT?

Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok, the new temporary Immigration Office for short stay extensions and Chaeng Wattana overflow.

[Kancha]

I heard there'll be an announcement soon that you can still apply visa extension on next Monday.

Obviously too many people can't apply extension even though they have letters.

[greggraham]

6 hours ago, Kancha said:

I heard there'll be an announcement soon that you can still apply visa extension on next Monday.

Obviously too many people can't apply extension even though they have letters.

Where did you hear this? Richard Barrow? 

 

 

[checkered flag]

3 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

Is airport IO open 24/7 or where else there people can pay overstay fine?

Maybe there is big line also! So if need pay fine people should go early in Suvarnabhumi! So how that happening there? Mean hole process there.

Suvarnabhumi is a 24/7 operation. They might let you slide with less than 24 hours. Make sure you clear immigration in time and you should be able to wait on the "air side" or whatever it's called. It could get very busy so a sleeping mat might be in order. Remember to be polite because IDC isn't so nice (I'm told).

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, checkered flag said:

Suvarnabhumi is a 24/7 operation. They might let you slide with less than 24 hours. Make sure you clear immigration in time and you should be able to wait on the "air side" or whatever it's called. It could get very busy so a sleeping mat might be in order. Remember to be polite because IDC isn't so nice (I'm told).

The problem is that you have to check in for your flight to go through security to get to the immigration desks. Most airlines do not allow you to check more than 2 to 4 hours early.

[OJAS]

25 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The problem is that you have to check in for your flight to go through security to get to the immigration desks. Most airlines do not allow you to check more than 2 to 4 hours early.

For my latest European trip last year I checked in on a machine at the airport and had no hold luggage to drop off. As a result I was able to clear Security and Immigration a good 6 hours before the scheduled flight departure time.

[Neeranam]

Yes, you could be arrested and thrown in jail before getting deported. It happened to a friend of mine who was one day overstay, his apartment got raided. Immigration jail is not pleasant. 

Much better to buy an alarm clock and go to immigration early.

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, OJAS said:

For my latest European trip last year I checked in on a machine at the airport and had no hold luggage to drop off. As a result I was able to clear Security and Immigration a good 6 hours before the scheduled flight departure time.

I was only stating for check in at a counter. Not sure all airlines have machines and now it might be that all check ins have to be done at the counter.

[TheFreqFlyer]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I was only stating for check in at a counter. Not sure all airlines have machines and now it might be that all check ins have to be done at the counter.

I thought it would rather be the other way round; that contactless is becoming the way to go. In several other countries most notably Australia and the USA, they have used the current crisis to reduce manned check-in counters. 

[2530Ubon]

According to the news yesterday (Phuket IO were outed as giving consideration and come back for the rest), embassy letters are supposed to get a full 30 days now. Can anyone confirm this is the case? It's going to make life a lot easier for those who haven't obtained a long stay visa yet if the full 30 days are given in one hit... perhaps agents can process things now if they have the required days remaining.

 

[Andyfez]

Definitely overcrowding in prison.

[condobrit001]

Why have you left it so long? You really only have yourself to blame. You could have started the process a lot earlier.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, 2530Ubon said:

According to the news yesterday (Phuket IO were outed as giving consideration and come back for the rest), embassy letters are supposed to get a full 30 days now. Can anyone confirm this is the case? It's going to make life a lot easier for those who haven't obtained a long stay visa yet if the full 30 days are given in one hit... perhaps agents can process things now if they have the required days remaining.

They always gave a 30 day extension, some people just didn't understand the "under consideration" stamp. It doesn't sound like they would give directly 30 days now, it's probably still 15 or 20 days under consideration, and then the remaining days.

[richard_smith237]

You mean... Will they be sympathetic to those who completely ignored any advice and failed to get their affairs in order for the months leading up to the deadline ?????

 

 

 

 

[condobrit001]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You mean... Will they be sympathetic to those who completely ignored any advice and failed to get their affairs in order for the months leading up to the deadline ?????

 

 

 

 

Agree entirely, some people just don't get it.

[marin]

18 hours ago, ninjabkk said:

f I have a letter from the embassy but cannot get an extension because of overcrowding at immigration, will I be arrested?

You should be just for having Kanye West as your avatar. What a whiner.  Get in there and get it done, you have had three plus months..

[natway09]

You should be at one of the offices at MTT now since 8am this morning 

Have you been?